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25 Oct 2007 : Column 499W—continued
| Number de-registering for VAT within four years | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Source: BERR analysis of VAT and survival rate data | |||||
VAT registration and de-registration data for 2006 will be published on 14 November 2007. Survival data will not be produced again until 2009.
New VAT registrations exceeded de-registrations in the UK (and in all regions) between 2001 and 2005. The stock of VAT registered businesses rose by 4 per cent. during the period.
VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £60,000 at the start of 2006. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. Only 1.9 million out of 4.5 million UK enterprises (41 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2006.
Although data on the number of VAT de-registrations are routinely collected and monitored, there is currently no general information on the impact of business closures at regional and national level. However a study commissioned for the London Development Agency in 2005(l) showed that out of the 790,000 jobs lost through SMEs closing down in London between 2001 and 2003, 88 per cent. found immediate employment elsewhere, 8 per cent. went in self-employment and 1 per cent. into training. Only 3 per cent. went into unemployment.
At appropriate levels, business closures are a necessary part of the productive churn process, creating space for more productive and innovative firms to expand, and therefore an important step in boosting regional and national productivity. Data on closures, including data at a regional level, are routinely collected and monitored.
(1) Business Closures in London: Final Report, 2005, TBR Economics
Trade Union Political Funds
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice and guidance (a) his Department and (b) the Certification Officer has provided on whether trade union members who opt out of a political fund of their trade union should (i) be refunded and (ii) not be charged the cost of the political fund contribution when they pay their union subscriptions. [158689]
Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has produced guidance on the law regarding political funds in a publication entitled “Trade union political funds: a guide for trade unions, their members and others”. That guidance describes the law relating to the freedom of union members to contract out of paying the political levy.
The Certification Officer has produced guidance on contracting out of a political fund in a publication entitled “Guidance for trade unions and employers’ associations wishing to establish a political fund”. The guidance contains the statutory requirements relating to the manner of giving effect to exemptions.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance (a) his Department and (b) the Certification Officer has produced on whether a trade union may use non-political fund resources to fund an affiliated organisation that then engages in political activity. [158690]
Mr. McFadden:
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has produced guidance on the law regarding political funds in a publication entitled “Trade union political funds: a
guide for trade unions, their members and others”. That guidance describes the law relating to unlawful expenditure on political objects.
The Certification Officer has also produced two guidance publications: “Guidance for trade unions and employers’ associations wishing to establish a political fund” and “Guide to political fund review ballots”. These contain the statutory provisions which restrict the expenditure of union funds on political objectives.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance his (a) Department and (b) the Certification Officer has produced on whether trade union members who opt out of the political fund should pay a different union membership fee from those who remain in the fund. [153418]
Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has produced guidance on the law regarding political funds in a publication entitled ‘Trade union political funds: a guide for trade unions, their members and others’. That guidance describes the law relating to the freedom of union members to contract out of paying the political levy.
The Certification Officer has also produced guidance on this issue in a publication entitled ‘Guidance for trade unions and employers' associations wishing to establish a political fund’.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance (a) his Department and (b) the Certification Officer has produced on whether application forms to join a trade union should mention the rights of the trade union member to opt out of the political fund. [153420]
Mr. McFadden: Neither the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform nor the Certification Officer has produced guidance on this topic.
Trade: Barbados
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value was of (a) imports and (b) exports of (i) goods and (ii) services between Barbados and the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years for which information is available. [161081]
Mr. Thomas: The information is as follows.
(i) Overseas Trade Statistics recorded data for UK trade in goods with Barbados are shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||
| UK imports of goods from Barbados | UK exports of goods to Barbados | |
(ii) Data on trade in services are not available for the full 10 years requested. table 9.13 of the UK Balance of Payments “Pink Book 2007” gives the following figures for UK trade in services with Barbados:
| £ million | ||
| UK imports of services from Barbados | UK exports of services to Barbados | |
Trade: Bermuda
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value was of (a) imports and (b) exports of (i) goods and (ii) services between Bermuda and the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years for which information is available. [161087]
Mr. Thomas: The information is as follows.
(i) Overseas Trade Statistics recorded data for UK trade in goods with Bermuda are shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||
| UK imports of goods from Bermuda | UK exports of goods to Bermuda | |
(ii) Data on trade in services are not available for the full 10 years requested. table 9.13 of the UK Balance of Payments “Pink Book 2007” gives the following figures for UK trade in services with Bermuda:
| £ million | ||
| UK imports of services from Bermuda | UK exports of services to Bermuda | |
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